Signal device.



J. E. KEPPEL.`

SIGNAL DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JANIao. 1 915,

1,189,455. Patenteemuly 4, 1916.

JESSE E. KEPPEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOUR.

stenen envien.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July d., i916.

Application filed January 31), 15515. Serial No. 5,167.

city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signal Devices, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to signal devices for railroad locomotives, motor cars, and the like. l

It has for its object to give a warning to the engineer or niotorman in time for him to check the speed of the car or train under his control when approaching a curve, switch, bridge, or other place along the line of the railway where, for reasons of safety, it is necessary to slow down.

ln the accompanying drawing illustrating an adaptation of the invention, the figure shows a portion of a railway car equipped with an electrical signal device and a circuit closer which is operated by a device on the roadway.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral l indicates the'body4 of the car, on.-

which is carried a storage or other battery 2. From one pole of the battery leads a wire 3 to an electrical bell et. From the belll leads another wire 5 to a bracket 6 which is mounted on the under side of the car. Pivoted in this bracket is an arm 7 having a roller 8 journaled in its outerfend. rlhe arm l is provided, adjacent to the roller 8, with a curved extension or shoe 9 arranged and adapted to engage a contact tongue 10 which is mounted in proximity thereto on the under side of the car and connected by a wire ll to the pole of the battery opposite to that which is connected to the wire 3. The arm 'T is also provided with a shouldered extension l2 which -is connected by a spring l?) to the under side of the car in order .that said arm may be yieldably held in normal position out of contact with said tongue 10. Connected in multiple with the wires 3 and 5 is an electric lamp ll, said lamp being provided with the usual circuit-breaker or cutout button l5.

B y the arrangen'ient ust 'described the bell 4: is sounded every time the circuit is closed by bringing the arm T and tongue l0 into engagement with each other, and the lamp le may or may not be simultaneously lighted, depending. whether or not the button l5 is turned to close the lamp circuit.

To automatically operate the arm 7 suit- 'able actuating devices are provided at .the places along the line of the railway where it isdesired to give the signal; that is, Within such distance of a curve, switch, bridge, or other place where .it is necessary to check the speed of the car or train, in order that the engineer or motorman may have sulficient time to accomplish the. same. As shown in the drawing, the actuating' device coni-prises a rail 16 which is arranged in the path of the roller 8 on said arm 7, andl at such an elevation that the arm is ,raised sufficiently to bring the slice 9 into contact with the spring tongue l0. At the oppositeends of this rail are inclines or curves 1T, so that the Contact between the shoe 9 and tong-ue l0 is eii'ected more or less gradually; and the length of the rail is determined by the length of time it is desired to maintain the signal active.

l,While l have shown in the drawing an electrical'signal device, I do not wish to be limited thereby, as the invention comprehends broadly the idea of placing on the car either an audible or an illuminable signal device, or both, and operating the same automatically by the coperation of a device on the car with another located on the roadway.

I claim:

The combination in a railway car, of an electrical signal device on said car, said signal device comprising a supporting bracket, a lever-arm pivotally mounted on said supporting bracket and having a bearing roller near its end, the end portion of said leverarm being extended and formed to constitute a Contact shoe, and said lever-arm having a shouldered extension beyond its pivotal axis arranged and adapted to engage said supporting bracket to limit the normal position of said lever-arm, a spring connected at one end to said lever-arm extension so as to hold the latter yieldably in normal position, and a spring contact member mounted in proximity to said contact shoe portion of said lever-arm so as to be engaged thereby, and means adjacent to therailway in thepath-of said bearing roller whereby, when the car passes in cooperative relation thereto said lever-arm is moved so that its shoe portion my hand in presence of two subscribing Wits brought into engagement with said spring nesses. 'Contact member, Suid lever-arm and said spring Contact being respectively connected 5 to the opposite terminals of the electric-L11 \Vtnesses:

Circuit for said signal derice. G. A. PEXNINGTON,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set STELLA HILL.

JESSE E. KEPPEL. n 

